Mr. Perkins's ears tingled as these hard words saluted them; and hescarcely knew whether he ought to knock his uncle down, or fall athis feet and say, "Uncle, I sometimes have been a, fool, and I know it." Thefact is, that inside his interview with Miss Gorgon and her aunt in themorning, when he came to tell them of the resolution he had formedto give up the place, both the ladies and Harold himself had agreed,with a thousand rapturous tears and exclamations, that he was one ofthe noblest youthful men that ever lived, had acted as became himself,and might with perfect propriety give up the place, his talentsbeing so prodigious that no power on earth could hinder him frombeing Lord Chancellor. Indeed, Harold and Lucy had always thought theclerkship quite beneath him, and were not a little glad, perhaps, atfinding a pretext for decently refusing it. But as Perkins was ayoung gentleman whose candour was such that he was always swayed bythe opinions of the last speaker, he did begin to feel now the truthof his uncle's statements, however disagreeable they might be.

Mr. Crampton continued:--